


Miracle

by Mipmip13



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Chloe Decker Needs A Hug, Established Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Eventual Fluff, Fear, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Hurt Chloe Decker, Hurt Lucifer, Hurt Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) Whump, Major Character Injury, Michael is a Little Shit, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pain, Suffering, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:15:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mipmip13/pseuds/Mipmip13
Summary: 5*08, Michael kidnapped Chloe but took her somewhere else. Now his plan is unfolding.
Relationships: Amenadiel & Linda Martin (Lucifer TV), Amenadiel & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Amenadiel & Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker & Mazikeen, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Mazikeen & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Michael & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 169





	1. I already won

"You won't get away with this!"

She was furious. Sitting on the cold concrete floor in the middle of what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse. Her hands hurt, tied a bit too tightly behind her back and secured to something, maybe a pipe of some sort.

"Lucifer will find me, and he will punish you." She was glaring at the man standing in front of her while leaning back towards the cold pipe behind her. Yep, definitely a pipe.

"Oh, Miss Decker, I'm actually counting on that. It's all part of my brilliant plan." He answered with a Vicious smile. He was so unlike Lucifer, he didn't care if she was hurting or upset, it seemed he maybe even enjoyed it. Michael was the evil one of the two, apparently. How did the bible and everyone else get all of this so wrong? Perhaps this was part of Michael's manipulation all along?

It was so unfair. Lucifer was suffering for thousands of years, stuck in hell, alone, being blamed for all that is bad and corrupt with humanity. Even Chloe herself ran away from him when she saw his devil face, and she knew him. She knew his kind heart and his warm loving eyes for several years before it happened. But she still ran away and even plotted against him for a moment. She was so stupid back then. But now she knew better and had complete faith in him.

"Your plan, whatever it is, will fail, Michael. You can't win this so just go back to wherever you came from and stay there!" She growled at him.

"On the contrary dear. I already won. You see, you make him vulnerable. And with you here I'm going to kill my brother, and make you watch. We'll see if you truly are a miracle or just a filthy human like the rest of your kind. My bet is on the latter." He was laughing like a maniac now. Such a terrible sound that made her stomach twist with fear.

"You can't hurt him". She tried to deflate him, the smug bastard. "He is invulnerable even around me now. Dan shot him last night and nothing happened. So you can kiss your plan goodbye, because there's nothing you could do to him now, and he will come and save me."

Michael approached her quickly and crouched close. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face, and see the mark Lucifer had left on his. "Thanks dear, for the valuable information." He patted her cheek and she pulled away from his touch. "I guess I'll need to use a hell forged weapon then, these could kill celestials quite easily. All I need is one good blow, and my dear brother is a goner."

Chloe didn't know anything about hell forged weapons, but it sounded like a bad thing. Perhaps it was just another one of his lies, meant to scare her? He seemed to get a kick out of scaring people. She frowned and tried answering, protesting, even pleading but Michael was only viciously smiling at her as he gagged her mouth with duct tape. 

"Don't feel too bad though," he added. "He is still vulnerable around you, just not the way you think. You see, my brother cares about you, more than anything. And you being here as bait is all I need to get his undivided attention. He is weak when he's around you, unfocused." 

Realization hit her hard, Lucifer will come to get her and he might let his guard down when it happens, just like the fact that statistically most car accidents occur close to home, when people feel relieved and safe and stop paying attention. She needed to warn him, keep watch, maybe convince Michael it's a bad idea to go through with this. But the gag made it impossible for her to say anything, her voice was muffled by the tape, and she began crying with frustration and fear for her partner. She didn't even realize how Michael's domination of fear wasn't helping the situation one bit. 

Please God, don't let this happen, please don't let Michael kill Lucifer. He's your son… And I need him here with me...

She kept crying and praying, and all the while Michael stood there, looking amused. After a while all the fear and exhaustion started overpowering her and she dozed off, despite the uncomfortable position she was in. When she woke it was dark again, her mouth felt dry and her neck was stiff, but something warm was caressing her cheek. 

She was surprised to find Lucifer kneeling in front of her, relief plastered all over his face, and his soft smile made her heart swell with joy. She looked around but couldn't see Michael anywhere. He wasn't standing where she last saw him, probably a couple of hours ago. 

It felt strange, something was off, but she was hoping he left, maybe he got scared off or came to his senses and forsaken his evil plan. Or maybe he was just preoccupied somewhere else for now and they could just get away without anything bad happening. Maybe God heard her prayers and took action?

"Oh, my brave Detective, are you okay? Let's get you out of here, shall we?" Lucifer's voice was soft and his hands were gently pulling the duct tape from her face. He was kneeling in front of her, pulling gently, trying not to hurt her by pulling the duct tape off too quickly. "Sorry love" he whispered as she squeaked, his other hand kept caressing her cheek, as if he was trying to assure her that everything would be ok. 

When the gag came off she let out a small sob. "Michael was here earlier, he kidnapped me as bait and he's planning to kill you". She said quickly, her voice rough from crying. She knew Michael was dangerous even though she couldn't see him around at the moment. Lucifer should know of his plan and be extra careful. And they need to leave NOW.

"Maze is outside, watching. Let me just open these." He wrapped his arms around her small frame, reaching for the binds. She could feel his warmth, inhale his scent. She lost herself in him for a moment, lost her focus while he enveloped her with his strong arms, holding her close while tugging on the ropes. "We do need to get going Chlo.." He started saying her name softly as his breath hitched and he jerked backwards, his eyes wide with surprise and pain. 

She couldn't understand what was happening, the sudden loss of his warmth made her look up, alarmed, and then she saw a hand firmly grasping Lucifer's left shoulder, pulling him further backwards. He let out a pained gasp as a pointy tip emerged from his chest, covered in red. 

She looked up to see Michael hunched behind him with a vicious grin on his face, holding Lucifer's shoulder tightly. Lucifer's hands fell limp, as he stared at the crimson coated tip of the dagger, sticking out of his chest. He raised his eyes to meet Chloe's shocked gaze and let out a ragged breath that ended with a small caught, blood starting to trickle down his chin.

Chloe's heart sank as Michael gave her a winning smile while turning the dagger once and yanking it out of his brothers back, starting a flood of crimson from the gaping hole in the middle of Lucifer's chest. 

She couldn't do much but scream in horror, as warm tears started running down her cheeks. She was still tied and could only watch as Lucifer's body fell to the ground, the pool of blood around him spreading at an alarming pace. He was lying on his side, his face turned towards her, and she could see the blood pouring from his chest and the side of his mouth, the desperate look in his eyes, his spark dimming with every passing moment.

His hand was reaching out to her, twitching weakly, while Michael stood above him, looking content and babbling about his genius plan. She couldn't hear him over her own screams, as she watched the love of her life fading away in front of her.

She vaguely noticed the door being kicked open, flying off its hinges, and Maze storming into the warehouse with a growl. Michael let his dark grey wings out and fled up, shouting; "now is the time to work your miracle and save him, Chloe. But you can't, can you? You're just a filthy little human. What a shame" and he disappeared with a manic laughter.

Maze was next to Chloe in a heartbeat, breaking her loose and quickly pulling her off the ground using her inhuman powers. Her legs were numb and she felt dizzy but it didn't matter. All that mattered was her partner who was now bleeding to death in front of her and she couldn't do anything to stop it. They should have been more careful, how did she let this happen? Could she really save him, being a miracle and all?

She was by his side in an instant, caressing his face, pleading for him to find a way to come back to her. She knew he was dying, there was no denying it now, when most of his blood was already soaking into the cold concrete floor. But she dared hoping that maybe something would happen and they will survive this.

And just like that Lucifer gave out a small sigh and his eyes fell closed, and all her hopes were shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Just a reminder that english is my second language and I don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> Thank you for reading ❤️


	2. I guess dreams do come true

Lucifer was a mess. It took them way too long to find Chloe. They followed the wrong trail at first, until they figured out it wasn't the Whisper Killer who took her. But now they knew it was his annoying brother who kidnapped his beloved detective, and they also managed to find out where she was being held captive. Finding people was Maze's job after all, and she was damn good at it.

Lucifer flew Maze to the given location and they stood outside the abandoned warehouse for a couple of minutes, watching silently. There was no sign of Michael anywhere outside the warehouse, so Maze stayed behind, watching, while Lucifer went inside to find Chloe. He moved quietly, unseen, hidden in the shadows, but suddenly he froze as a scream of utter terror came from somewhere inside the warehouse. 

He never heard her scream like this before, but he would recognize her voice anywhere, and the terror in her voice filled him with urgency to find her, save her from his dick of a brother and put a stop to whatever he was doing to her.

He let out his wings and launched himself forward, finding the source of the screams in an instant. Chloe was lying on the floor, tied to a pole, screaming in agony, while Michael was hunched over her with his index finger pressed to the middle of her forehead. 

He was messing with her mind, with her dreams. He used to do that as a prank back when they were young, ulter dreams, plant ideas into their siblings minds. It was harmless back then, used in order to fool around, but not so anymore. He should have known Michael would use this ability of his to hurt others, just as he manipulated him to question their father, to rebel. To fall.

"Hi Sam." Michael raised his cold eyes to him. "A bit too late I'm afraid, as I already planted all the seeds needed for sending you right back to where you belong".

"Get your filthy hands away from her." Lucifer growled at Michael, expanding his beautiful white wings with a threatening notion.

"Or what?" Michael retorted and stood tall, letting out his own wings, dark grey and crooked, but intimidating, as they were still an archangel's wings even at their current state.

Lucifer practically flew into him, grabbing him by the neck and crashing him into the opposite wall. He was so angry, barely in control. This was going to be painful for both of them, he knew. He was not going to pull his punches like the last time they fought. He had enough of this dullard who dared hurting the woman he loves.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" He roared into Michael's face, still holding him by the neck, his brother's feet hanging mere inches from the ground. Michael was just smiling at him, looking content. "Wouldn't you like to know". Lucifer punched him in his smug face, breaking his nose with one mighty swing, while his other hand kept squeezing at his neck tightly. Just then something pulled his attention.

Chloe was softly whimpering. "Please come back to me" she whispered with so much pain and sorrow in her voice and he lost his focus. All Lucifer wanted to do was to fly her away from this place, hold her close and protect her until the end of time. 

Michael seized the opportunity to kick him in the balls, hard, which made Lucifer lose his grip and stumble backwards. This gave Michael the chance to flap his wings, sending Lucifer a couple of feet back by the gust of wind he created. They both quickly composed themselves and were at each other's throats within seconds, punching and kicking, drawing blood with every blow. 

Michael seemed to be enjoying this all too much, and Lucifer was losing his patience, his eyes glowing red with fury. He grabbed his imbecile brother by his turtleneck and punched his smug face repeatedly, hitting his broken nose over and over again. Then he threw him forcefully into the opposite wall. Michael hit the wall hard and fell to the ground, unmoving. Pieces of the now cracked wall falling on top of his unconscious form.

Lucifer took a moment to catch his breath, and used his sleeve to wipe the blood dripping down his face from a gash above his eyebrow. His suit was already ruined anyway. He folded his wings away and kneeled next to Chloe who was still whimpering in her sleep, her face stained with tears. He released her from her strains and caressed her cheeks with his hands, wiping her tears away.

"Chloe, wake up love. We need to go". Chloe's eyes snapped open. She was staring at him with wide eyes, pain and disbelief written all over her face. 

She looked distressed, and Lucifer took her into his embrace, hoping that the sensation of him holding her will help her compose herself. She held him close, burying her face in the crock of his neck, inhaling his scent. "I thought he killed you." She whispered and he almost missed it, her voice so small and shaking.

Lucifer broke their embrace, watching her carefully with worried eyes, his hand gently running through her hair. "Tell me what happened". 

Chloe stifled a sob. "He stabbed you through the heart with a dagger from hell, he said it could hurt you, kill you. You died in my arms and there was nothing I could do to save you." She was sobbing now and he held her tight whispering soothing words to her, running his hands over her back with repetitive motions.

"I'm okay darling, it was just a bad dream. My brother is able to dominate fear. He taps into your biggest fears and intensifies them." He guided her up, and they stood together, still holding each other. "We do need to get going, but I assure you I'm quite alright. More than alright actually, I kicked Michael's arse and he is currently passed out right over there."

He turned to point at the spot where his brother landed after he slammed him into the wall, but no one was there. Confused he turned back to Chloe and saw a glint of metal behind her. It seemed that Michael had forsaken any reason and was going to take a swing at Chloe using a demonic blade. There was no time to waste, he had to save her, no matter the cost, so he pulled her by the arm with a little too much force and placed himself between her and the blade as it sank deep into his side, just under his ribs, coming out from his back. His breath hitched at the immense pain he felt as the blade went through his body.

Chloe landed hard on the cold concrete floor, bruising both her knees. " Lucifer, what the hell…" And then she froze as she took in the scene in front of her. The blade that was embedded into Lucifer's body was jagged, and looked much worse than the one she saw in her dream. Lucifer's pained scream and the squelching sound she heard when Michael turned the blade gave her a pretty good idea how painful his movement was. Then he turned the blade again and yanked it out of his brother's torso, pushing him hard into the wall.

Lucifer hit the wall with a grunt, and slid down, leaving a dark trail on the wall behind him. His dress shirt was drenched with blood and so were his suit pants and jacket. He held his hand to his side, trying to stanch the bleeding, gritting his teeth and breathing heavily. 

Michael gave Chloe a winning grin and flew to the wall. Lucifer was trying to catch his breath and stand back up but Michael didn't give him any time to recover and forcefully lodged the long dagger into his brother's gut once again, leaving it sticking out of Lucifer's stomach, and then patting his barely conscious brother's cheek and turning his attention back to Chloe.

"Well, I guess dreams do come true." Said Michael with a vicious grin as he approached her, his crooked wings splayed out behind him and blood dripping from his broken nose, making his sly smile look even more terrifying. "Now, do I kill you too or do I give you a chance to try to prove yourself as a miracle and fail miserably?" 

The door to the warehouse was kicked open, and Maze stormed into the dark room, roaring. Chloe was still on the floor, about to pass out. Everything was way too familiar, too similar to what she had experienced just moments ago. And it ended horribly that time around. She didn't know what to do, what to think. Was this also a dream? Was this some sort of a sick torture that Michael was inflicting upon her? Was she condemned to watch Lucifer die a painful bloody death over and over again?

Maze was now standing between her and Michael, glaring at him. "You can't kill humans, you dick." She barked at him, holding her curved blades at a threatening pose. But he was just laughing while flying away, leaving them once again with the aftermath of his horrible actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me...


	3. This is all my fault

She couldn't breathe, curled up on herself, knees held tightly to her chest. Her breathing was too shallow, too quick. This couldn't be happening, not again. She wanted to wake up now, more than anything. Wake up again to have the man she loves pull her into his strong arms and make everything okay. But she knew this wasn't a dream. Her knees hurt from hitting the concrete floor moments earlier and the pain told her this wasn't a dream this time around.

"Decker, he needs you." Maze's hand was reached towards her, and Chloe snapped back to reality. She took the offered hand and carefully lifted herself up, feeling numb all over. Her legs were shaking, but Maze's tight grip helped her stay upright and catch her breath, and eventually the room stopped spinning.

Just then it hit her, the demon's words. He needed her. "He's alive?" She heard herself as if from afar. "For now. And we need to move if we want him to stay that way." Maze answered bluntly, no emotions evident in her voice.

Chloe stumbled towards Lucifer, taking in the extent of the damage he had taken because of her, in order to save her. His back was pressed to the blood stained wall, his head bowed down, eyes screwed shut. His clothes and hands all drenched with his blood. A black hilt sticking out of his stomach, just left to his navel. His breathing was shallow and labored and he seemed to be slightly shaking, probably going into shock from all the pain and blood loss.

Chloe lowered herself into a sitting position by his side, hesitating for a moment before reaching for his cheek, gently touching his face. He opened his eyes, grunting in pain, his head now moving back to lean against the wall and she could see the glint of sweat on his blood stained face and neck.

"Ch.. Chloe. I'm.. stuck.." His voice was weak and he was struggling to form words through gritted teeth, feet bracing against the floor and sliding back down, as if he was somehow trying to stand up but lacking the strength to do so.

"Don't do that, we need to stabilize the blade first so you won't bleed out, and then we'll leave." Maze seemed annoyed. She didn't like the situation one bit. But she knew what she needed to do. 

Lucifer managed to fix her up when she was wounded by hell forged weapons back at their time together, rulling hell. This should work on him too. It worked on Amenadiel when he was injured a few years back. Did she tell Lucifer about that? She couldn't recall. She knew she needed to get him somewhere safe, pull out the blade and fix him somehow. It worked before, she could do it again.

"This might be h.. harder than you think. The d.. dagger is pinning me.. er.. to the wall. As much as I enjoy b.. being pinned to a wall eh.. every now and then, this is quite.. hm.. painful…" his strength seemed to be running out quickly, his eyes screwed shut again and Chloe could hear small pained whimpering sounds coming from him as he tried to take in a deep breath.

"Chloe you need to leave, you make him mortal." Maze suddenly realized. 

"No, I'm not. Not anymore. And I'm not leaving him. This is all my fault." Tears were falling from her eyes again, she was afraid of what was going to happen, feeling so damn guilty over everything. If it wasn't for her none of this would have happened. She gently ran her fingers over the cut above his left eyebrow, tears trickling from her eyes, falling on his blood stained hands that lay limp in his lap. "You saved me, and look where it got you."

"Bloody hell, Ch.. Chloe, I can't h.. hold you at the m.. moment, so please… ow.. don't cry love. I'll be.. f.. fine." His head plumped back against the wall now, his jaw clenching as he took in a few shallow breaths to fight the wave of nauseating pain washing over him. He couldn't have her feeling guilty over him, punishing herself over something that wasn't her fault. He needed to get moving and try to fix this. One of his feathers should do the trick. Maybe. He never needed it before. But he couldn't unfurl his wings without killing himself at his current position.

"M.. Maze, be a dear and h.. help me out of h.. here." Chloe noticed his voice was getting weaker now, eyes slightly unfocused. They were running out of time.

Maze was looking perplexed, scratching her head. "Do I just pull you out?" The look in his eyes made her nod in acceptance and take action. "Fine, I'll get you out and to the penthouse, and then I'll come back for Decker."

"No, d.. don't let her out of y.. your sight. M.. Michael m.. might try somt'n.." his words were slurring now. "Gim'me a h.. hand." It was harder than he thought but with their help he managed to hold both his hands up for a prayer, and just as his hands fell back to his lap they heard Amenadiel's voice calling out from the entrance, approaching them quickly "Lucifer? Are you here?"

He reached them quickly and came to a halt when he saw his brother's bloody form. "Oh no, Luci… what happened?"

"This is the work of your brother, the sadistic twin." Maze huffed. Lucifer gave him a pained smile and tried shrugging but found himself lacking the energy to move at all.

"Sadistic twin? Michael did this? Oh my Dad…" Amenadiel shook his head, shocked at the possibility that Michael was capable of such cruelty. "How do we get him out?" He asked, prodding at the wall. "Should I break the wall down?"

"No!" both Chloe and Maze said in unison and Maze continued. "It's too risky. I'll get the blade out of the wall. It won't be easy, but I need to be gentle, make sure he doesn't bleed out." Said Maze. "We need to get him somewhere safe, fix him and give him time to heal, to sleep it off. I have something at my safe at Linda's that should help. Though it would be much easier if you could get one out now, but I get you're too wounded to help me out here." She was looking at Lucifer now, who seemed pleased they both thought of the same solution, but was also a bit confused about her keeping one of his feathers locked in her safe. Never mind, they'll deal with it later.

Maze was crouching in front of Lucifer now, feeling around his back, trying to figure out how to loosen up the blade without pulling it out of his body. 

She took his arms and laced them around her shoulders, the hilt of the hell forged weapon placed strategically between her thighs, and her knees pressed into his body, stabilizing the blade so it won't sink deeper or move too much. 

He was bracing himself, gritting his teeth. The pain was already much worse than before. 'Just do it.. I'll be f.. fine."

She held him tightly, one hand holding the blade between his body and the wall and the other braced against the wall next to his head, getting ready to push. "Ready? On three." Lucifer took in a shaky breath and nodded. "One" she started counting and pushed hard against the wall without finishing the count. 

Lucifer was screaming in agony as the movement made the blade shift slightly in his gut and he felt his inside burn with searing pain. Chloe was still kneeling next to them, feeling helpless, her hands covering her mouth and tears running down her face as she witnessed the painful extraction, while Amenadiel did his best to keep cool as he witnessed his younger brother's suffering.

Maze needed a couple of good shoves in order to get the blade out of the wall. By the third attempt the blade was already starting to loosen up and Lucifer stopped screaming, his body was slumped onto her and his forehead was resting on her shoulder. After a couple more shoves the blade was finally released from the wall. Maze gently laid him on his side in order to avoid further agitation to the wounds.

Chloe reached out to him. He was unconscious and still bleeding from the wound on his side, but it seemed like the blade was indeed keeping him from bleeding out from his other wound, even after all the pulling. Lucifer was deathly pale and she went to check for his pulse, relieved to find it, a bit weak but still there. 

"Okay, now what?" She asked the demon bounty hunter with the best detective voice she could master under the circumstances. 

"Amenadiel, I need you to fly Lucifer to the penthouse, but be very careful with the blade. Try not to rattle him too much if you want him to have a chance to survive this. Then come back to get us."

Amenadiel nodded and took Lucifer into his arms, cradling him carefully. Lucifer's head was leaning against his brother's shoulder, and his hand hanging limp at the side of his body. The first born angel brought out his wings and they disappeared.

Mere moments later he returned to take the detective and the demon and fly them back to the penthouse. The journey was so abrupt that Chloe's stomach made a few flips as they landed on Lucifer's balcony a few moments later. She was somewhat grateful that her stomach was empty at the moment or she would have thrown up all over the angel who carried her there.

"Chloe, go be with him. Watch over him." Maze ordered, and if Chloe didn't know better she could have sworn that she saw a glimpse of concern in her eyes. Maze pointed at Amenadiel and herself, "we need to go to my safe at Linda's. It would have been much easier if Lucifer was conscious, but we have to work with what we've got.

You have Lux security close by just in case Michael attempts to hurt any of you two again. They can't stop him but hopefully they'll keep him distracted long enough until we return. We won't be long."

Chloe nodded and turned to enter the penthouse, she could feel the air movement behind her, indicating their departure. She stumbled towards Lucifer's bedroom, coming to a hult at the bottom of the small flight of stairs. Memories of their first night together came back to her as she stood there, shaking.

She could see his back from where she stood, her hand braced against the wall where he kissed her and offered her his own hand, asking for her permission to take her to his bedroom.

The blade was still embedded into him, coated with dried blood and small pieces of concrete from the wall. When she moved closer she could see his blood drenched clothes more clearly. The black suit was masking the blood stains from the back, but when she reached his front side she saw his once white dress shirt was painted crimson. 

He was pale and sweaty but It seemed that the wound on his side wasn't bleeding so much anymore. Perhaps it didn't hurt anything vital. The blade's current location thought, appeared to be quite problematic, probably slicing through his left kidney, if angels even had kidneys. 

She suddenly realized she knew nothing about angels' internal anatomy. Are they like humans? Do they need to eat or sleep? She took comfort in knowing that even humans could lead a good life with only one kidney, so this might be okay. They just need to make sure he doesn't bleed out when they remove the blade, and Maze had gone to bring something in order to take care of this part of the problem. 

She sat on the floor next to the bed, exhausted, watching him closely. His pinched expression, the pain creases around his eyes. He was sweaty and bloody, breathing heavily and making small whimpering sounds every now and then but otherwise he seemed to still be out cold. It scared her to see him like that, so helpless, but she really didn't want him to suffer anymore than he already had, so maybe it was for the best.

She ran her fingers through his messy hair, whispering "please stay, don't leave me. I love you so much." He seemed to relax a little, melting into her touch. So she kept watching him, gently touching him, asking him to stay, and hoping they could fix this mess soon.

And then she heard a ruffle of feathers from the balcony.


	4. Close your eyes!

They landed on the stairwell leading to Linda's house and quickly entered, Maze storming into her room. Fortunately it was already getting dark so no one saw them. They needed to be quick, couldn't afford to lose any more time.

"Amenadiel where have you been? Charlie's fever spiked again. Where did you run off to?" Linda was so tired, exhausted from all the sleepless nights caring for their sick baby, singing to him and cradling him in her arms. It took her a moment to register his bloodstained clothes. "Oh no, what happened?".

"I'm sorry Linda, I had to leave quickly. Lucifer is gravely injured and in need of our help. I'll explain everything later." 

They were both startled at the sound of floorboards being ripped out of place and smashed. They carefully approached Maze's room to find her kneeling over a massive hole in the floor, and a huge scary looking metal chest in the middle of it.

"That's your safe? Let's just take it and leave." Amenadiel commented, while Linda was staring at the hole in the middle of the room, trying not to appear too exasperated with Maze's unorthodox methods.

Maze was glaring at him. "Nope, booby trapped. And I think you have use for all your limbs so it's better that I get what's inside." She started kicking and punching the safe, as if she was fighting a goon, or maybe even several ones. 

With a hiss and a clunk the safe opened revealing several items, one of these items was an engraved metal box. Amenadiel thought he recognized the box from somewhere but the memory was too vague for him to grasp.

"Come meet us at Lucifer's penthouse, we need to leave now" Maze told Linda and they were off, leaving her standing there without giving her a chance to reply.

They landed on the balcony yet again. Only a few minutes passed since they left Lucifer and Chloe at the penthouse, all alone. The glass doors leading into the penthouse were wide open, and everything was deathly quiet. 

They were moving cautiously, heading to the bedroom, only to find Chloe standing at the edge of the bed with a bedside lamp in her hands, trying to appear intimidating.

\-------

Chloe was so relieved to see it was them. "I thought it was Michael. I didn't know how to call Lux security." She blurted out as she put the lamp back in its place. 

Maze seemed to schlod herself internally but tried to appear indifferent. "Oh right, forgot to leave instructions. Sorry."

They turned their attention to Lucifer, as he was groaning in pain, and seemed to be regaining consciousness. His breathing was still shallow and labored and he was slightly shaking, and seemed a bit worse than when they left him, if such a thing was even possible. 

Maze kneeled by the side of the bed, gently touching his shoulder. "You'll be just fine, we'll fix you up in no time". She didn't know what was happening, all these feelings washing over her. It was something she experienced before, but not to that extent. Maybe she was changing. Maybe she did care after all…

He was looking at her direction, but she wasn't sure if he could actually see or hear her. His eyes were open but his gaze was unfocused, nearly blank, his body trembling and his teeth chattering as if he was freezing. She knew this was a bad sign.

She opened the small box they retrieved and took out a small glowing feather.

Amenadiel was staring at the feather and all the memories of that day came back to him. Memories of Maze carrying him to the penthouse, saving his life after Malcolm stabbed him. "Is this one of Lucifer's feathers? Is it going to work on him too?" He asked, hope seeping through his voice.

"He is light, the Lightbringer. Pure divinity and the power of creation are laced into him. He is able to eradicate darkness, contradict the damage done by infernal weapons. He fixed me once, when one of the higher rank demons tried to kill me and nearly succeeded. That's how we found out. This is why I kept this feather. I had another one but I used it to fix you when that corrupt cop stabbed you with my blade." Maze seemed a bit distant for a moment, but pulled herself together in no time. 

Chloe was feeling helpless and confused. She was just standing there, unable to help, her guilt weighing on her soul. All she could do was watch and hope that everything would be okay, trying to wrap her head around everything she just heard.

"Amenadiel, I need you to hold him down while I extract the blade. Then I will use the feather to heal him. Any questions?"

Chloe took a shaky breath. "How do we know if it worked?" Her voice was trembling as she held back her tears (or maybe she ran out of tears, she wasn't sure anymore).

"Simple." Maze answered bluntly. "He doesn't die."

She and Amenadiel held Lucifer tightly, his eyes still open, still unfocused, staring into thin air. Maze grabbed the hilt and smoothly yanked the blade out of his body. Blood started flowing out of the open wound and Lucifer began gasping and choking, spackles of blood flying out of his mouth, staining the golden bed sheets as well as Amenadiel's hands who was still grasping at his shoulders, pinning him to the bed. 

Chloe couldn't hold her own weight anymore, as she fell to her knees beside them. She couldn't breath, couldn't think. She felt like she was choking with him, all the fear and his pain overwhelming her.

Maze took the feather and lifted his blood soaked shirt, forcefully plunging the feather into his midsection while shouting at Chloe "Close your eyes!".

The room was engulfed by a blinding light that Chloe could only describe as warm and pure. It was like being wrapped with soft silk while sipping on sweet nectar, like feeling loved and cherished for all eternity. Is this how devinity felt like?

It took her a few seconds to register that the light was already gone, but she could hear Maze's tight laughter, Amenadiel's relieved sigh and Lucifer's even if somewhat still ragged breathing. When she opened her eyes she could see the demon and the angel smiling at each other, as Lucifer's wounds weren't bleeding anymore. He was breathing on his own but he seemed to have fallen unconscious again.

Maze helped her up and the three of them worked together, undressing him, cleaning him up from all the blood and grime. Now the extent of the damage Michael had inflicted on him was clearer, as the two angry marks of the blade were visible and seemed only partially healed.

"Is this okay?" Chloe couldn't help but ask, indicating the partially healed wounds. She hoped the feather would work like a miracle, but Maze and Amenadiel seemed to be happy with Lucifer's current condition so this had to be okay, right?

Maze gave the wounds a closer look, frowning. "I don't get it. He should be completely healed by now. We don't know how those things actually work, maybe the extent of the injuries requires more divinity in order to finish the job? But he seems to be doing better already." 

"Let's just give him time, let his healing ability kick in." Amenadiel offered. "We could take another feather once he wakes up and use it again. It should work. His feathers are the pure form of his divinity."

Chloe sat on the bed, still worried sick. She was gently wiping Lucifer's face and neck with a damp cloth, making sure to remove all traces of dried blood clinging to his skin. He was stirring now, eyes cracking open just a bit. He seemed exhausted but she could tell he was staring directly at her. "Mmm sponge bath. S'feels nice." He mumbled weakly and she let out a relieved chuckle. 

Chloe ran her fingers through his hair with soothing motions. He was humming with pleasure, a ghost of a smile on his lips while he drifted back to slumber. 

Chloe was so relieved. She felt like she could breathe again. He was better now, he was even joking with her. Smiling. He'll be just fine in no time.

They managed to somehow change the sheets and bandage his midsection, covering both the entry and exit wounds with thick gauze so the wounds won't get agitated while he was healing.

Chloe had a hard time leaving his side, but she had to go get cleaned up, and talk to her daughter, letting her know she was unharmed and safe.

She settled for a quick shower, wearing one of Lucifer's luxurious dress shirts instead of her blood stained clothes. Then she went ahead calling Trixie while sitting on a side chair inside Lucifer's huge closet. 

"Hey monkey, yeah I'm okay. Lucifer and Maze saved me." She was on the verge of tears again. "No you can't talk to him. He's asleep now."

"He got hurt, but he'll be okay, Maze fixed him. He's just really tired."

"Let's talk tomorrow morning, we'll see how he's doing, and then we'll decide if you could come visit. But I need to stay and make sure he's getting better, okay monkey?" She paused to listen to her daughter. "Yeah, I'll do my best to keep him safe. I love you too baby. Give the phone to your grandma please."

"Hey mom. I'm okay, I promise. I need you to watch over Trixie tonight, and don't tell her what I'm about to tell you, I don't want her to worry too much." She took a deep breath, considering how to portray this ordeal.

"Lucifer has a twin brother, his name is Michael. He's the one who kidnapped me. He wanted to hurt Lucifer. He managed to do a lot of damage, but Lucife's fine now, he's healing." He was fine, she reassured herself again. He was just fine. 

"I'm staying with Lucifer, to make sure he's okay. Yes mom, we're together now." her mother's joyful cry made her smile. She was happy for them and it felt really nice. "Thanks mom. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
"Love you too. See you soon."

She went back to check on Lucifer who was still fast asleep, looking a bit pale and fragile, but oh so beautiful. She loved him so much, and she almost lost him. Again. She felt an ache in her chest, her heart constricting painfully. She wanted to crawl into bed with him and hold him tightly, never let go of him, but her stomach started growling. She really should eat something before getting the rest she so desperately needed.

Coming out to the living room she found Maze and Amenadiel sitting next to the coffee table, digging into takeout containers. It was chinese food from her favorite restaurant. 

She sat next to them, grabbing one of the containers. She wasn't that hungry, mainly tired, so she managed to force herself to take a few bites before she felt herself dozing off on the couch next to Maze.

"Let's get you to bed, Chloe." Maze was standing by her side, lifting her up effortlessly and carrying her 'bridal style' to the bed. She wanted to protest but she was just too tired. Maze gently laid her next to the sleeping devil, watching as Chloe curled herself up against his uninjured side and fell asleep in an instant.

\-----

Chloe felt serene, wandering around a beautiful garden, searching for Lucifer. She knew he was somewhere nearby but she couldn't find him, but for some reason she wasn't bothered by it. She kept walking and the scenery had changed. She was now on a dune in the middle of the desert. It became very hot in no time. Everything was burning hot and she was sweating. She found herself lying on a pile of warm and sticky sand. The sand under her cheek was burning hot, almost too hot to bear. She had to get away before it was going to burn her alive.

She woke up, startled by the immense heat she felt, realizing too slowly that it wasn't just a dream. Her cheek still felt impossibly warm, pressed onto Lucifer's bare chest. 

She sat up to have a better look at him, noticing his alarming pallor and flushed cheeks. He was muttering incoherently in his restless sleep, seemingly burning up. His face and body were covered with sweat and it was soaking into her shirt and her hair, as well as the sheets around them.

"Lucifer." she whispered, trying to get him to wake up, touching his face only to yank back her hand as if burned by wildfire. He was inhumanly warm and it scared her. He was supposed to be fine, what the hell is going on? How long has it been since they fell asleep?

Chloe stumbled towards the living room, seeking help from the supernatural entities she hoped to find there. She should tell them something was wrong with him. They'll know what to do.

\-----------

Maze returned to the sofa after her tribe member fell asleep curled up with the healing devil. She and Amenadiel sat silently for a few minutes, maze running her thumb against her breastbone, as if to relieve a persistent ache underneath. "I don't get it. If Michael wanted to kill Lucifer he would have just done it. Why stab him in the gut and give him a chance to survive this? Something doesn't feel right."

She was still running her thumb over her breastbone. "And our link is still bugging me, although Lucifer is fine now. It's been bugging me ever since that bastard first stabbed him. I know he gave me my freedom but I didn't want to break the link. He saved me so many times before, I couldn't just abandon him. I know he's all powerful and all, but I still felt like I owed him, even though he's an insufferable arrogant bastard sometimes."

Amenadiel huffed a small laugh. She was indeed changing, as he suspected. He was considering for a moment, his brows frowned. "Perhaps the healing was less effective because the source of the divine light you used came from Lucifer himself? I guess it's harder to heal yourself, if that makes any sense. Now I understand why healing in the Silver City is so swift, since it's overflowing with our fathers light, but Luci is forbidden from entering that realm. You did well Mazikeen, he seemed better already. Give it time, we'll be here for him if he needs us."

Amenadiel suddenly realized something. "Wait, Should Chloe even be here?" He averted his worried gaze towards the bedroom.

"They said she doesn't make him vulnerable anymore, so I guess it should be fine, and keeping them both safe is much easier when they're together."

Amenadiel seemed disturbed by the latter development, wondering what it meant regarding his brother's relationship with the detective, his willingness to let her in. He decided he should talk to him about it once Lucifer is up for it. Maybe he should go check on them, just in case.

When he approached the bedroom to take a look at the sleeping couple he was surprised to find Chloe stumbling towards him. She seemed disheveled and sweaty, a distraught expression on her face. 

"Something's wrong. He's burning up."


	5. Don't you dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourself, lots of whump and angst in this chapter. This turned out a lot darker than I originally planned...

Everything hurt. He felt like he was falling again. Burning again.

Everything was pain, his body hurt, his soul burnt. It was excruciating. More than he had endured during his long life.

He felt like he was burning from the inside, rivulets of mind numbing pain coursing through his body. His soul being pulled apart, just like when he fell for the first time, thrown to Hell, into darkness, while longing for the light of the Silver City.

Only now it was much worse. 

He failed her, as he had failed his father. He must be falling again. 

There was no other explanation. 

He couldn't save her from his brother, he would come for her again, and there was nothing he could do about it anymore, because he was falling again, burning again.

Words spilled out of his mouth, a language he hadn't used in a very long time. He was almost chanting now, repeatedly muttering the words, again and again in an endless loop. 

A loop. Was he in Hell? Was this his hell loop? 

He couldn't think, everything hurt and the pain kept intensifying. He felt his soul being pulled in several different directions, his body being ripped apart from the inside. He couldn't find the room in his agony for any reasonable thoughts anymore. Everything hurt, and he was drowning in his pain and suffering.

\-------

Linda exited the elevator holding sleeping baby Charlie in her arms. The penthouse seemed to be empty at first glance, but as she advanced towards the grand piano she could hear muffled voices coming from Lucifer's bedroom. 

Linda entered the room to find Amenadiel, Maze and Chloe standing helpless around one very pale and sweaty devil, who was muttering repeatedly, looking quite ill. He was definitely hurting, she could tell.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked, only to be answered by silence. They were all so confused by recent developments and really had no idea what to tell her.

"What happened?" She asked again, worried for her friend.

"Michael kidnapped Chloe. Luci and Maze rescued her but Michael stabbed Lucifer with a hell forged weapon. We tried repairing the damage using his divinity from one of his feathers. It helped only partially. He was better but now he's worse. We don't know why." Amenadiel summarized everything for her. 

Lucifer kept muttering, repeatedly chanting the same words over and over again, his voice weak and shaking.

Maze was distressed. "He thinks he's falling again. He thinks his father is punishing him again."

"When he first arrived in Hell, He was burning for a very long time, probably from the fall. No one wanted to come close to him, all demons felt his rage and his pain. I remember it well. It was so confusing, the pain and suffering pulling us close but the rage and pure power made us stay away. We knew he was an archangel, how powerful he was. He survived the fall from the edges of hell. We didn't know it was so much further than that. But he looked like a king, felt like a king. Even broken. Even while he burnt. It's different now. Something is happening to him…" She was really scared, and it felt wrong. Demons don't get scared. 

The fallen angel kept chanting, his voice breaking. It sounded as if he was begging, pleading to someone. Tears falling from the edges of his eye only to evaporate within seconds as they came in contact with his feverish skin.

Chloe felt her heart break, his pinched expression and pained voice were too much for her to bear. She was exhausted, still half dressed and an overall mess, but she needed to help him somehow. "What's going on? What is he saying?" She asked Amenadiel.

"I… Chloe, are you certain you want to know?" Amenadiel looked like he was about to cry. Maze's distraught expression told her it was going to hit her hard. Harder than what Maze had already told them.

"I need to know."

Amenadiel nodded, taking a deep breath. His eyes filled with unshed tears and his voice was thick with emotions as he started translating.

"Please father, don't punish me again."

"Please make it stop."

"It hurts too much."

"I don't want to burn anymore."

"I don't want to be alone."

"Please father, Keep her safe."

"I need her."

"I love her."

"Please, don't do this."

"Not again."

Sadness was seeping through Amenadiel's words. Lucifer was his little brother, and he was in so much pain. He was begging for their father's help. Lucifer did not beg. Especially not to their father. It was unsettling.

Chloe was devastated by his words. Lucifer said he needed her. He said he loved her. But it sounded like he was saying goodbye, begging for his father's help protecting her while he's gone. She felt helpless. Powerless. She didn't know what to do, how to make him better. It seemed no one did. 

This was all her fault. He was in this mess because he loved her. Because his brother used his love for her as a weapon against him. And now he's burning up, reliving his most painful experiences. And there was nothing she could do to help him. She wasn't a miracle, more like a curse. 

As if to make it worse, he started whimpering in pain now. As if she didn't feel guilty enough already. She needed to do something. Wallowing in her guilt won't help him. She tried to think, vaguely remembering some of the things she learned about ways to treat fever. Maybe not celestial sickness 101 but fever is fever, right? They just need to cool his body down…

She left the room for a moment only to return with a bowl of water and a few pieces of cloth in her hands. She sat on the bed next to him and dipped a piece of cloth in the water, squeezed it a bit and laid it over Lucifer's forehead.

It didn't seem to do much, she needed to think bigger. "Maybe a cold bath would help. We used to do it with Trixie, when medications weren't enough to subside her fever." She said with hope in her voice. 

"This is a good idea. We also need to understand what is the cause for this fever." Linda added in her professional tone. "Some kind of infection maybe? I would start by checking the wound." She pointed at the bandages around Lucifer's midsection.

Lucifer hissed in pain as they uncovered his injuries. The wounds were red and swollen and there was some bleeding yet again. The edges of the wounds were marred with red and purple bruising. It looked much worse than it did a couple of hours ago. It didn't make any sense, he was already partially healed, and now he seemed to be deteriorating again.

"Chloe I think you should leave for a bit, maybe his vulnerability around you is an issue here." Linda said gently. She scolded herself internally for thinking so slowly, but a few sleepless nights with a sick baby would screw up anyone's brain.

"He's not vulnerable around me anymore." Chloe noted. "I don't know why, bet he's not. So I'm staying."

"Oh, okay. Yeah…" Linda didn't know how to respond to that so she kept quiet. They had bigger issues to worry about right now. "Maybe some antibiotics?" She suggested.

"I don't think it would work on him, but I might know why he's not healing. Maze, can you show me the blade?" Amenadiel was concerned. He had a hunch and needed to verify it. For the first time in his long life, the firstborn angel was hoping that he was wrong.

Maze retrieved the blade from under the bed. It was still bloody and wrapped up with one of Lucifer's towels. Amenadiel used one of the damp cloths to clean up some of the blood, and examine the blade. "Oh no…" he blurted out.

He had everyone's attention now. He held the blade in his hands, nodding his head with disbelief. "Lucifer is not healing because this blade is only partially infernal."

"This is the sword of Reguel. It has not been seen since the rebellion. We thought it was destroyed during the fight, as pieces of the blade were found scattered around the Silver City. It had been altered, broken and laced with infernal steel."

"Lucifer's light and divinity contradicted the infernal part of the injury. This is why he was doing better after Maze used his feather. But the celestial part of the blade has an effect on his body and his soul." He took a deep breath, running his palm over his head, trying to figure out how to explain the rest.

"Reguel is the angel of justice and vengeance. A mortal wound inflicted by his sword usually results with death and justice for the soul of the deceased. The soul is sent wherever it belongs to, Heaven or Hell. I believe Michael's intentions were to send Lucifer back to hell."

Maze was muttering in anger. "Some justice. Stupid angels."

Amenadiel gave out a sigh. "Since his corporal form is deteriorating from the wounds, his soul needs to leave the body in order to end up in its rightful place. So we need to heal his body before he dies, or retrieve his soul if he does, if we could figure out how to fix his body. I just don't understand why he's in so much pain right now, as justice is supposed to be painless."

Amenadiel placed his hand on his brother's chest, frowning. "This is odd. His soul feels like it's being pulled in several different directions, and it seems to be tearing both his soul and his body apart."

Chloe felt the guilt weighing on her. His constant pain was a burden on her soul. This was on her, all his pain and suffering. He was going to die because of her. It was all her fault. 

Just as Chloe finished that thought Lucifer let out a pained cry, his eyes flew open, irises burning red with hellfire. 

"What do we do? How do we help him?" She was desperate now, crying again.

"He seems to be reacting to something. It's making it worse, but I can't tell what it is." Amenadiel seemed frustrated.

"Could this be the result of what your father told you? That Hell doesn't need a warden anymore? Maybe that means Lucifer is welcome to return to Heaven, and it's causing a conflict with his soul?" Linda was thinking out loud.

Amenadiel was considering her words for a moment. "I really don't know. I'll go find Reguel and Raphael, if anyone has answers, it's the owner of the sword and the healer. In the meantime try to cool him down, as Chloe suggested. We need to preserve his corporal form until we figure out what is happening to his soul."

"Can't you just pray to them? And what about your father?" Linda asked, trying to be helpful.

"I can, but I don't think they're listening, and we don't have time to waste. Father is very hard to reach, and our siblings are all very busy with their duties. I'll need to summon them personally. I won't be long."

With that he let out his wings and disappeared.

\----

Linda laid sleeping baby Charlie on the sofa and surrounded him with cushions. She went to help Maze with the bathtub, filling it with Icy water as quickly as possible. 

Chloe stayed with Lucifer, watching him closely. His breath was too shallow, too quick. His eyes were closed again, his body still warm and slightly trembling. He stopped mumbling, and was too silent. He was never silent. It felt so unnatural for him to be that quiet, not to quip some jokes regarding all the women fussing over him.

Maze carried the devil in her arms, only bandages and boxer briefs covering his too warm body. He was still deathly silent, his labored breathing was the only indication of him still being alive. The demon held him close, holding back her tears while easily carrying him to the bathtub and immersing his body into the icy water, gently laying his head on the edge of the bathtub. 

He let out a groan as the cold water came in contact with his feverish skin, and started violently shivering. His teeth were chattering and he was grunting with discomfort. 

Chloe's tears kept falling as she held his limp hand tightly. She could feel him starting to cool down already. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe the tremors. 

After what felt like forever his face was cool enough for her to touch but still too hot for her comfort. "Shh... rest now, this should help you feel better. Just breathe for me, stay with me." She whispered to him.

After a few more minutes he suddenly stopped shivering. She was alarmed, leaning towards him, checking on him. "Lucifer?" She whispered and his eyelids slid half opened in response. He seemed to recognize her, acknowledge her presence by slightly turning his head towards her.

He kept blinking slowly, as if to clear the fog in his feverish brain. His hand squeezing hers ever so slightly. He tried to raise his hand, reaching for her face, so she helped him, bringing his hand to her lips, gently kissing his palm. 

He ran a thumb on her chin, trying to reach up and caress her cheek, the tips of his fingers grazing her jawline. She supported him with both her hands, caressing her own cheek with his palm. He was conscious again, interacting with her. She allowed herself to be happy for a moment. To hope it was a good sign.

"C.. Chloe…" 

It was but a shadow of his voice, usually so strong and playful. It was so hard for her to see him this way, fading, dying. No, she shouldn't think like that. He'll be fine, he's conscious and somewhat coherent. They will figure out how to fix him in no time. They have to.

His dark expressive eyes gazed at her, and he was speaking again. "I.. I love you." He swallowed audibly, his face twisting in anguish. She was horrified to see a drop of blood trickling from his nose and down his lips and chin. Red started to bloom in the water around his bandages and she knew in her heart what was about to happen. 

"I.. l'm s.. sorry…"

With this his eyes fell closed, head lolled to the side, and his hand went limp in hers. "No.." she whispered, a sob escaping her lips. "No, don't you dare."

Her hands were on his neck, frantically searching for his pulse but she found nothing. Not even the slightest flutter. She pulled him to her chest, holding him close as a pained scream erupted from her chest. She sounded like a wild animal in distress, her grief engulfing both of them as she held him tightly, refusing to accept this horrible outcome. 

"Please don't go." She whispered to him all over again, just like in her terrible nightmare. "Come back to me. Please..."

Maze and Linda stood at the door, holding each other, crying silently. Watching her holding Lucifer's pale and still form, as the bathtub water kept reddening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that happened...  
> Sorry for all the cliffhangers, it seems that's all I'm doing lately.
> 
> I'm wondering whether to wrap this story up within the next couple of chapters, or let it grow into a monster sized fic. 
> 
> Please let me know what you prefer in the comments.
> 
> Thank you for reading ❤️


	6. Let me see

Amenadiel searched the heavens for his siblings. It took him some time to find Reguel, as he wasn't at the main halls, where he usually resided. He found him at the library, reading about law and order in the human realm. Of course the angel of justice would be reading about laws. 

The silver haired angel was appalled by the idea that his sword had been turned into an abomination, being fused with demon steel and used to harm one of their own. He was the angel of justice, so he could relate to his fallen brother's desire to get free will for all of them, just as the humans got their free will from the start. He was also the angel of vengeance so he could understand their father's decision to punish the rogue angel, casting him away, making an example out of him. He didn't agree with it, but he understood. 

So when Amenadiel came to seek his help in saving their brother Samael, who now calls himself Lucifer, he was more than happy to oblige. 

Finding Raphael was much easier. She was tidying up her infirmary, making sure every bit of equipment was clean and in its rightful place. 

She almost started crying when Amenadiel told her what happened and asked her to join them on the earthly plane in order to help their brother. He made sure to give them both the short version of what happened, for lack of time. 

They left in a haste, shortly after Raphael gathered some of her medical supplies into her handbag. She took everything she thought might help with this situation, not sure if she could even help, for this was the first time she heard of this kind of injury, and it frightened her. 

Before he fell, the Lightbringer was one of her favorite older brothers. Always helping her with her tasks, always smiling, joking about and making her laugh so hard. He made everything seem easier, lighter. The Silver City was much less bright without having him around anymore. She couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt that badly, of him dying. She had to help him.

\--------

Everything hurt, and it kept intensifying. He was certain it wasn't going to end, that he would suffer endlessly, forever. And maybe he deserved it, maybe He deserved this punishment for putting her in harm's way. For allowing Michael to risk this pure soul, his beloved detective, his beautiful Chloe. 

The pain was immense but after a while something had changed, and all of a sudden he started feeling better. Freezing cold but better.

He was hoping that maybe he was safe now, that the pain was over for good and he could be with her, build a life together, keep her safe.

Maybe he hadn't failed her after all. Maybe he wasn't being punished again. Maybe he was forgiven and it would all be over now.

He could feel her hand holding his tightly, while someone was gently stroking his hair. He could hear her whispering in his ear and he felt serene for just a moment. But then something snapped inside of him, as he felt his insides being ripped apart, and he knew he wasn't going to survive this. 

He'd seen this countless times, in cheesy hospital dramas and thousands of hell loops. The few moments of coherence before the end. So cruel, especially towards the loved ones. Letting them on, giving them hope that a miracle had indeed occurred and everything was going to be okay. It was cruel, a source of so much guilt and pain for everyone involved. But it did give them a chance to say goodbye so maybe it wasn't all bad. Definitely not the first flaw in his father's system.

He opened his eyes, just barely, feeling his strength waning already. And there she was, sitting on the floor close by, as beautiful as always, even with her puffy eyes and the bit of snot underneath her nose. He was blinking now, fighting to stay awake. Trying to gather the energy for what he needed to do, for himself and for her. He wanted to tell her he loved her and hold her close, but he had nothing left in him.

She whispered his name, looking oh so beautiful and relieved to see he's awake, unaware of what's to come. He was going to break her heart, but he needed to tell her. She needed to know.

Her name left his lips, just barely more than a whisper. She was smiling now, her smile was small but oh so intoxicating, as it was meant just for him. She noticed his efforts to raise his hand towards her face and helped him reach her, touch her. He's going to miss her so much. 

His thoughts were a mess. He didn't know where he was going to end up, but dying now felt different. More painful. More final.

He told her he loved her, only to see her eyes shining with excitement and hope, both quickly crumbling into pure horror, as he felt his body falling apart. He found himself breathless, agonized, but still apologizing. For scaring her. For hurting her. For leaving her.

And then there was nothing.

\--------

The three angels landed on the balcony, entering Lucifer's home only to be stopped by an agonized scream coming from somewhere inside. They exchanged worried glances and Amenadiel stormed inside. He found Linda and Maze weeping next to the bathroom door and his heart sank. He was hoping it wasn't too late, that they could still save Lucifer's life, but he might have been mistaken.

He entered the bathroom and was met by a gruesome scenario. Lucifer was lying in a literal blood bath, his head cradled into Chloe's chest and his arm hanging limp from the side of the tub, dripping bloody water to the floor. 

They were too late, why did it take him so long to realize what was going on? How could he have missed all the signs? He needed to get Raphael now, she would know what to do.

\------

Linda and Maze took in the appearance of the two angels who were standing in the living room, seemingly waiting for Amenadiel to tell them what to do.

Reguel had short silvery hair and silvery wings. He was very handsome, very similar to Lucifer in his bodily and facial structure, but he was a bit taller and slimmer. He was wearing dark grey robes, while his sister, the healer, was wearing baby blue robes. Linda found herself thinking it resembled the color of surgeons' scrubs. How fitting for a healer. 

Raphael was relatively tall, but shorter than her brothers. Her blonde hair matched the sandy color of her wings and was gathered into a long tidy braid. Her skin seemed to be glowing just a bit. 

A few moments had passed and no one moved, but then the angels heard Amenadiel's prayer and sprung into action, both tucking in their wings and stepping forward towards the bathroom only to be met by a growling demon.

"It's okay, I'm here to help. My name is Raphael and I'm the healer." Raphael said with her beautiful and calming voice. She left Reguel behind and kept walking towards them. She went past the two women and entered the bathroom, nodding to Amenadiel and carefully approaching her fallen brother and the woman holding him. 

It was hard for her, seeing him like this. The woman's obvious grief over her fallen brother felt overwhelming, but she had a job to do. She lowered herself onto one knee next to them, gently placing her hand between the woman's shoulder blades in order to calm her down. 

When her fingers came in contact with the woman's back she felt something unusual. A peculiar kind of energy was radiating from the woman. It was familiar in a way but still foreign. She needed to help her brother now, She'd look into it later.

"Please." She whispered to the woman, feeling her calming down just a bit. "Let me see."

Chloe stared at the blond stranger with teary eyes, glancing up to Amenadiel who was standing next to them, frowning. He nodded, so she placed a soft kiss onto Lucifer's hair and gently laid his head back on the bathtub edge, reluctantly moving away from him. She let Amenadiel reach forward and support her as she rose to her feet, shaking. Tears kept falling from her eyes. He held her close, trying to help her compose herself. But how could he, when he felt so helpless himself?

Raphael leaned close, examining her patient. He was pale, his skin almost translucent, his lips already turning blue. His soul seemed to have left the body only minutes ago, so maybe they weren't too late after all. 

She placed one of her delicate hands on Lucifer's forehead and the other on his chest, just above his heart. She braced herself, concentrating. Her eyes started glowing with blue light and she gritted her teeth, exhaling sharply.

She was chanting now, through gritted teeth, and the water in the bathtub suddenly seemed to be changing their color, turning less red, as if some of the blood returned into the fallen angel's body. Her jaw unclenched and the chanting kept intensifying. She was almost yelling now, her eyes kept glowing blue and everything around them began shaking. 

When the shaking stopped the water was clear again, but Lucifer remained pale and unmoving, his chest still.

"Oh sammy, I'm so sorry…" Raphael whispered to him, running her thumb against his cold temple as a tear fell on her cheek.

"Don't call him that." Amenadiel said, his voice unusually small and fragile. "He hates that name." 

Raphael nodded and rose to her feet, wiping her face, her expression distraught. "I couldn't retrieve his soul, something is wrong with it. I believe we need to go and find him, as he might be stuck somewhere. I repaired some of the damage done by the blade, I hope Reguel might be able to assist with the rest."

She easily lifted Lucifer's body and took him to his bed, laying him on top of some towels Maze and Linda had placed there. They removed the bandages to find the wounds partially healed, just like earlier, when they used the feather. Somehow it didn't make any of them feel any better.

"What now?" Asked Linda, worried for her friends. She was hoping for answers, now that they had two more celestials at their end.

Reguel stepped forward. "My sword was never meant to be used this way. Normally it would not harm an innocent. If what you told us is true, Lucifer was struck with the blade while defending this human." He was pointing at Chloe. "Which means he did not deserve to perish, as he chose to put another life ahead of his own."

Chloe felt a wave of guilt washing over her once more. Reguel continued. "This means that if we are able to repair the flesh and retrieve his soul, we could bring him back. Repairing the flesh won't be easy but we have another pressing matter at hand, as I cannot sense his soul anywhere in heaven nor hell, which might be a problem. You said it felt like it had been torn apart while he was still alive?" He asked Amenadiel.

"Indeed brother, this is why I rushed to find you." 

"This is not solely the work of the blade, there are other forces involved here. Dark forces. His soul feels lost, like it doesn't belong anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Chloe broke her silence. "He's not in heaven nor hell? So where is he?"

"I'm not sure, as this had never happened before to any celestial being. But there is something, rarely happening on this plane, that might give us a clue regarding the fate of his soul, and how to retrieve it."

\------

He found himself sitting on a bench on the top of a hill, watching over the nightly lights of Los Angeles. The lights were twinkling in the dark, so beautiful and calming. The city's lights reminded him of his stars. Oh how he loved his stars, his city, and his friends here.

It took him a moment to register it was the same bench where he sat with his beloved detective so long ago. The same spot where Cain shot and killed Charlotte. Where Amenadiel got his wings back. 

But he couldn't remember how he got here.

He could hear a ruffle of feathers behind him, and a small figure came to sit beside him on the bench.

"Hey Lu, whatcha doing out here?"


	7. Bring me my sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update.
> 
> Just starting to resolve things, hope you enjoy where it's headed...

"Hey Lu, whatcha doing out here?"

"I… I don't know…" He was utterly confused. His sister visited him only once since his fall, to tell him about their mutual friend. Maybe something had happened to Ella? His heart sank as the thought crossed his mind, as she was a ray of sunshine to this world.

His sister was eyeing him carefully, and he noticed the glint of tears in her eyes. He couldn't help but ask her. "Why are you here Azrael? Did something happen to Ella?"

"Nope, she doesn't know yet. But I'm sure she'll be upset when she finds out." Her voice was thick with emotions. He still couldn't understand why she was so upset. Clearly something had happened, something big, to someone that means a great deal to her.

"You didn't answer my question, why are you here?"

She was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Yeah.. I was hoping you'd remember so I wouldn't have to break it to you... the thing is... you're dead Lu... I've come to take you."

Realization dawned on him. "So, I get the VIP escort to Hell this time around? So fitting for a king. Are you going to fuss over my untimely demise? Maybe orchestrate a charade?" He tried to deflect with humor, the pit in his stomach growing by the second.

"No Lu, you're not barred from heaven anymore. I've come to take you upstairs." She was looking at him now, her lips rising up, creating a tight smile as she held out her hand towards him. He gave out an unbelieving huff. "Not funny Azrael." He tried to sound indifferent but hope was seeping through his voice.

"It's true Lu, Father spoke to me a few earthly days ago. He said Hell didn't need a warden anymore. That you served your punishment and you can come home now." She said with a teary smile. 

He was so relieved but also confused by his father's sudden change of heart. Then it all came back to him, and he remembered everything that happened. Chloe's kidnapping, the fight with Michael, and the immense agony and bloody death that followed. He couldn't leave her, he belonged with her, but he had no choice now. He didn't have his body anymore, he had to go with his sister. But at least he'll get to see her again. Hopefully she'll be okay and maybe she'll even remember him fondly when her time comes.

He had to leave her behind but he will get to see her again someday. Maybe he could negotiate with his father, get him to allow visitations to the earthly plane, assuming his father would even want to speak to him. He took a moment to compose himself and then he took Azrael's hand as she let out her wings, holding him tightly and starting to ascend.

At first he felt excited, of the possibility that he would end up in the Silver City with his family. After a few seconds he started wondering how everything would look like after eons in exile. He was ecstatic by the possibility of meeting old friends he thought he'd never see again, such as Father Frank and Charlotte Richards, perhaps even Delilah. 

And then the pain came, slicing through his midsection. And suddenly he couldn't think anymore.

The pain intensified as they reached the gates of Heaven. He found himself breathless, agonized. He crumpled to the ground the moment Azrael let go of him. Why does it hurt so much? He knew souls could feel pain, as he was in charge of inflicting pain and misery upon the guilty souls for thousands upon thousands of years. But why him? Why here?

"Lu, what's wrong?" Azrael was eyeing him worriedly. "Your soul is pulling downwards. What the heck?" She was utterly confused now. 

He was trying to get up, one arm wrapped around his midsection, in an attempt to dull the pain. "It feels like... I don't belong here…" he managed to squeeze out through gritted teeth. "Take me back down… Please."

She reluctantly agreed and held him close once again, flying downwards, crossing dimensions. Once to the human realm where he suddenly felt so much better, and then further down towards the gates of Hell. "I'm sorry Lu, I'm gonna talk to Dad and try to fix this." She said as they landed at the gates, only to be answered by a strangled cry of pain as her brother fought to hold himself upright, but ended up falling to his knees, grasping at his chest.

"Ray... help me..." His agonized whisper only barely reached her ears and she was taken aback by the way he used her nickname once again, the one he gave her so long ago. She placed her hands on his back, concentrating, and her eyes flew open with a loud gasp. "I'm so sorry Lu, I got so excited by you being allowed back home that I failed to properly examine your soul."

"You need to return to the earthly plane. You know what it means, right?" She asked her favorite brother, her voice filled with grief. "Yes." He whispered back in resignation, so she helped his trembling form up and held him close once again, and they were off.

\--------

"A ghost? Are you fucking kidding me?" 

Chloe was upset. Well, upset was an understatement of the year at this point. After watching the man she loved die over and over again, not to mention all his pain and agony and the fact that it was all her fault, upset didn't even start to describe how she was feeling right now.

"I thought Lucifer said there aren't any ghosts. He told me ghosts don't exist." Linda questioned the new information. Her life felt like a science fiction movie at the moment. Angels, demons, ghosts. What next? Jar Jar Binks is going to pop over? God, she hoped not. She really hated that character.

"They don't. At least not for long." The voice of a young woman came from the balcony as she approached the living room, her dark wings vanishing as she strode inside. She looked like a lost teenager from the 60's, her hair was cut in a strange shape and her clothes were a blurry mismatch. "I should know." She added with a cheeky wink and came to stand next to Amenadiel who's frown grew by the second. "Still grumpy as always, brother." She quipped and heard Lucifer's tight laughter behind her. 

"Heya siblings." She waved to Raphael and Reguel who also seemed even more concerned. "Hello humans and a demon." She waved to Chloe, Linda and Maze. "Azrael, angel of death. Nice to meet you." 

In that particular moment Charlie woke up and began blabbering to himself. "Ooh, a baby angel." Azrael cheered and took him into her arms.

"Azrael, why are you here?" The first born angel asked, breaking the silence in the room. "We were just about to contact you. Do you know what happened to Luci's soul?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry I just got carried away by the strange reunion going on here." Azrael shrugged, handing the baby to Amenadiel and then turning to face Chloe. "The thing is, his soul belongs with you. You belong in heaven but your guilt over what happened to him seems to be upsetting the balance. It's quite clear when I look at you, I don't know why I didn't think about it sooner, it could have saved us a lot of time and a lot of pain." She turned her head to look at Lucifer who was standing next to her but was seemingly invisible to everyone else. "If she would have died in this instance, I wouldn't be able to tell where her soul would end up. This conflict is affecting you. Affecting your soul. I've never seen anything like this before."

Chloe's eyes darted towards Azrael, and her stare migrated to where Azrael was looking while she spoke. "Wait, he's here now? Is he okay? Why can't we see him?" She had so many questions, hope blooming in her heart once again.

"Only the carrier of souls is able to see the ones who perished and in transition. And some crazy people, but it's hard to say if they went crazy because they saw the eleged ghosts or the other way around." Azrael trailed off again, shrugging.

"But I thought you all said ghosts don't exist." Linda interfered, being the collected one, as always.

Azrael's eyes darkened. "As I was saying before I digressed, they don't. At least not for long. Souls who are stuck in the earthly plane can't last. If they don't move on to Heaven or Hell they just fade away, cease to exist." The sadness in her voice was unmistakable.

"So he might just cease to exist because of me?" Chloe's tears started falling again. "He's dead because of me and now he's going to be truly gone forever because of me?" Her guilt kept growing, now more intense than ever. She left the living room, stumbling into the bedroom where Lucifer's lifeless body was sprawled on his bed, covered up to his shoulders with his silken sheets. The sheets were hiding his wounds and most of his pale form, giving the illusion that he might just be asleep after a long night out.

She sat next to him on the bed, using her fingers to brush some stray curls away from his forehead. Her fingertips trailed down towards his sculpted cheekbones and jawline. He was so beautiful, even in death. Her beautiful angel, whom she lost, and it was all because he loved her. Michael was right, she was no miracle, but a curse, and she deserved going to Hell because of it.

"It seems that the balance is starting to tilt towards the underworld now." Azrael's soft voice echoed from the bedroom entrance. She entered the room, everyone in her footsteps. Only Azrael could hear Lucifer's desperate pleadings. "No Azrael, she can't be hellbound. Please don't let this happen…" His broken voice echoed in Azrael's head. She needed to help these two lovebirds somehow, but she still didn't know how.

She spoke again. "Chloe, you need to understand something. If Lucifer's soul goes to hell now, you'll be hellbound too, for all eternity. And Lu is not a fan of that idea. Me neither."

"But why?" Amenadiel questioned, still holding the happily cooing baby. 

"Because what they share is special. A real bond. True love." Reguel stepped in. "They are bound to end up together in Heaven or in Hell, but the blade's power causes things to be permanent, so if Lucifer becomes hellbound, then so will you." He was talking to Chloe now. "Even if you won't feel any guilt once you pass away."

"So what do we do now?" Chloe's voice was small and shaky. She couldn't help but think about how screwed up this situation was. Her guilt was going to condemn them both to eternity in Hell, or make Lucifer's soul disappear forever, and she didn't know how to make it stop. What happened to the strong woman she was just a few days ago? Why was this happening to them?

Reguel spoke again with his calming voice. "As we mentioned before, we need to fix his flesh so his soul would have a body to reside in. It should keep it from fading away." He turned towards Amenadiel. "Bring me my sword, I have an idea." 

He took the sword in both hands. In that moment his eyes immediately started glowing silver, and all the black pieces of the demon blade that were laced into the weapon just vanished, revealing a bright silvery blade with an ivory hilt. Reguel spoke again, his eyes still shining with silver light. "The blade had been broken. I need to harness some of our father's divinity in order to fully repair it and light it up. We could cauterize the wounds with the flame of justice. Since he died saving another soul, it should heal his flesh and hopefully allow his soul to remain here without further complications." He sounded hopeful. 

"I'll hop upstairs to the Silver City and try to gather some of our father's divinity. But I might need to actually find him in order to complete this task and I'm not sure if Lucifer's soul could last that long." He started walking towards the balcony, letting out his silvery wings. "Try tilting the scale towards Heaven, ease her guilt. Pray to me if anything happens, I will be listening." And then he flapped his wings and disappeared. 

"Thank Dad Reguel knows how to fix this." Raphael sighed with relief. "Now, how do we keep Lucifer's soul from fading into nothing?"


	8. Were you not listening?

It took him a moment to register that he was now standing on the balcony of his own home, held upright only thanks to his sister's relentless support. Apparently Azrael thought it would be the best place for him to fade away for all eternity. She was kind enough to give him one last visit to his home on earth. Coming to his end here was so symbolic, so fitting, as it was the only place he ever felt loved and cherished since his fall. 

He knew he didn't have long until it happened, a few hours at the most. He could still recall how Azrael wept in his embrace after the first human soul got stuck in between the realms and just vanished into the nothing. It was a young woman, who was clearly headed to Heaven, but for some reason her soul refused to leave, and the consequences were quick and brutal.

They studied the subject, trying to figure out why it was happening. It was a rare occasion but every fading soul took a toll on his younger sister. Their research came to a halt when he was cast out. They haven't really spoken to one another since then. He wondered if Azrael managed to figure out what caused these unfortunate souls to get stuck here, but considering the devastated look on her face he knew he wasn't going to like what was going to happen next.

When the pain subsided and his ears stopped ringing he could hear voices coming from inside the penthouse. He recognized the distressed voices of Chloe and Linda. Amenadiel was also there, humming as he always did while thinking too hard, and Maze was muttering and grumbling, pacing around, clearly annoyed. 

One of the voices took him by surprise. Reguel was speaking now, telling them about the human souls trapped in between Heaven and Hell. The same souls referred to as one spoke of ghosts. Apparently Azrael confided in him, seeking justice for these poor souls.

He could hear the detective swear and huffed a small laugh. He loved hearing her use curse words, a rare occasion indeed. But his amusement immediately vanished as he noticed the small sob that followed her words.

He followed his sister as she strode inside, declaring her presence and dropping the bomb. Everyone seemed confused by her appearance and her words, but Lucifer didn't pay her much attention as he was astounded to find Raphael standing beside Reguel in the middle of his home. Why were they here? Why now?

Azrael's quip towards Amenadiel tore him out of his thoughts and made him huff a laugh. But his laugh died out as his eyes caught sight of her, his beloved detective, so sad and upset, so beautiful despite her red rimmed eyes and wild hair. She was wearing one of his shirts and boxer briefs, her long stunning legs out on display, very partially covered by his dress shirt. 

She looked divine, even half dressed and all messy. He tried reaching out to her, to touch her, but he couldn't feel her, and she seemed unaware of him either. 

Azrael explained the situation to everyone, and he let the meaning of her words sink in. He knew he was going to fade away, that for some reason he was stuck here on this plane. He knew he didn't have long before everything ended for good. But he didn't know why.

Azrael's words hit him hard, as he realized how guilty Chloe felt because of him. He knew that in order for him to survive this and go to Heaven she had to let go of that guilt, but it seemed Michael's words and actions made sure she wouldn't be able to do that. His twin made sure they were going to suffer, either by him fading away or by them both ending up in Hell, tortured by their guilt over each other's fate. 

Chloe was in tears now, stumbling towards the bedroom, to his cold body. She was touching him so gently, tracing his facial features with the tips of her fingers. Her sad and loving gaze at his lifeless body made him try and reach out to her again, but she couldn't feel him, so he settled next to her, watching her tears as they fell.

He was lost in his thoughts again. It was getting harder to concentrate, as he felt his soul begin to fade. At least it was painless. At least he didn't hurt anymore. But if he fades away then Chloe's guilt would destroy her and she would end up in Hell anyway. He had to do something. He had to protect her.

"It seems that the balance is starting to tilt towards the underworld now." He could hear Azrael's soft voice echoing from the bedroom entrance. Her words broke his heart. He found himself begging, pleading to his sister not to let this happen. 

He blacked out for a moment and when he came to he could hear the commotion in the room. It seemed Reguel had an idea, but he needed the help of their father for it to work, and this was never good. 

It seemed he could never get a break. Getting stuck here after finally being allowed back into the Silver City was just his luck. He kept hope that his father would help them. Chloe didn't deserve to be hellbound, he had to do something. But they couldn't count on the help of his father. It was a long shot. His father never intervened when it came to his children, just gave out orders and left to tend to his side project, humanity. 

He and Chloe were finally happy, and now all hell broke loose. Literally. He was finally allowed back home, to the Silver City, to be with her, forever. But now it was too late. 

He blacked out again, only to wake and find that Reguel was gone and everyone was upset by something Chloe had said, so he did his best to concentrate on the conversation.

\------

"What if I kill myself?" Chloe's voice echoed in the room, her words making everyone fall silent and stare at her while she kept speaking. "We'll both end up in hell. We could be together down there. Lucifer is the king of Hell so he could keep me safe down there. And you'll have enough time to heal his body and retrieve his soul."

"No!" Everyone's voices mingled together.

"Were you not listening? You'll both be hellbound for all eternity. Bound by the power of the blade of justice." Azrael was beginning to lose her patience.

Amenadiel added. "It could actually work, as a last resort, but Lucifer would never forgive himself for you being hellbound because of him, even if it is your choice. And we can't guarantee we could bring you both back."

"He is right." Linda stepped up. "When Lucifer killed himself in order to get the antidote for your poisoning, he got stuck in his own hell loop and almost didn't make it back. It was a close call." 

Maze snorted with frustration. Memories of that unpleasant day at the hospital made her skin crawl.

"Wait, what?" Chloe stared at Linda with wide eyes. "He killed himself in order to save me? How am I only now hearing about it?"

"Lu says it's complicated, and that he didn't get the chance to tell you about it since everything literally went to hell afterwards." Azrael chipped in. "Not very convincing if you ask me." She added with a shrug.

"Azrael?" Linda spoke to the young angel. "Could you please ask Lucifer if he's okay with me telling Chloe about some of the things we discussed during his sessions? Maybe it would help ease her guilt?"

There was a stretch of silence before Azrael spoke again. "Yeah Lu, I think so too." She said with a lopsided grin and they could now see the resemblance between her and her devilish brother. "He says 'anything for his beloved detective', and that he believes doctor-patient confidentiality is irrelevant once the patient is deceased."

"Not funny." Maze grumbled and left the room. 

"I'm sure you could help, from what I hear you're really good at your job. Thank you for helping my brother so much over the years." Azrael added with a bright smile as Linda humbly bowed her head. 

"Okay, I'm ready, I think." Chloe was now grasping at Lucifer's cold hand, running her thumb over his knuckles. "Let's do this. Let's get him back."

\-----

Azrael noticed it when they spoke about Chloe's terrible idea of committing suicide. Lucifer objected, obviously, begging Azrael not to let things head that way. But it took him too long to react. He tried so hard to joke around and take an active part in the conversation through Azrael but his sister knew he was struggling. 

She could see him starting to lose his focus, black out for a few seconds every now and then, staring into nothing. It wasn't a good sign. But she didn't want to add to Chloe's burden so she played along, wording out his quips and comments, trying hard not to freak out herself. 

He didn't have much time left, and she really didn't know if Reguel could make it back in time to save him. She hoped their father would step up and help, but she knew better than hoping for the impossible. "Brother please hurry." She sent a prayer towards Reguel and kept watching Lucifer as his blackouts grew longer each time.

\------

Reguel flew directly to Heavens weapon depository. The pieces of his blade were still kept there, as a reminder of what once was. Of the rebellion and its devastating outcome, the fall of one of the most powerful archangels ever existing. 

He took the pieces, placing them on top of a workstation, arranging them in order to recreate his mighty sword once again. He watched as the pieces fused themselves together by the power of creation, an inseparable part of the Silver City and it's maker.

He couldn't help but think how unfair this all was. To contemplate over the possibility that if his brother was still a part of this place, then maybe the strike of the sword would not have had such a devastating effect on him.

The blade was now whole again, but as he suspected, the divinity running through the city was not concentrated enough in order to ignite the flame of justice. He needed to find his father, to ask for his assistance. He could hear Azrael's prayers, letting him know they were running out of time. 

"Father, I need your help. Please." He called towards the sky, pleading, hoping for an answer. He was surprised to hear a familiar voice behind him. He hadn't felt his presence so up close since he started doubting, questioning justice and fairness. But it was still as he remembered, so powerful and warm and comforting.

"Hello son. I know why you're here. But I cannot help you." God's words sliced through the air. "I cannot change what already was set into motion. But rest assured things will play out for the best." 

"Cannot? Or would not" Reguel was confused. He never expected to find his father so quickly, but his words caught him off guard. "Things will play out for the best? How?" It all felt so unjust, it made his head spin. He was the angel of justice, and this was anything but justice. He didn't speak up for his fallen brother in the past millennia, but he couldn't just abandon him again.

"What do you mean?" 

"Father?" He spoke again but no one was there anymore.


	9. I don't get it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update, I've hit some sort of a writers block... 
> 
> No worries, I have it mostly figured out by now. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy 😊

Mazikeen was very annoyed. She had nothing to do, no way of helping her former master heal and get back to his body. They had to wait for that archangel to come back. She hated waiting, and she hated angels. From her experience angels couldn't be trusted. Amenadiel lied to her face more times than she could count, and Lucifer was always playing his own angle on everything.

Angels were annoying. She wanted to punch someone, preferably one of those feathered douchebags.

As if on cue Amenadiel came into the living room, carrying one agitated baby in his arms. Charlie was whining and seemed utterly unhappy.

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Maze muttered towards the restless baby and approached the bar, pouring herself a generous portion of something strong and expensive.

Raphael joined the gang and they all sat in silence for a while, Amenadiel rocking his son to sleep, Maze drinking herself senseless, and Raphael observing the artifacts in the room from her spot on the sofa.

"He really made a life for himself here. This place seems like a suitable home for the Lightbringer." The healer commented quietly, lost in her thoughts.

"Yeah, he really did." Amenadiel sniffed.

\------

Linda worked hard, trying to tilt the scale towards Heaven and save her friends. She kept speaking, asking questions and telling Chloe bits and pieces of her conversations with Lucifer, making sure to avoid anything that might increase her guilt. It was a difficult task, since Lucifer had sacrificed himself for her more times than she could count.

She was getting quite agitated as she realized none of her techniques were working. If she didn't know any better she would have thought something was physically and mentally blocking Chloe's ability to feel better about herself. 

"I don't get it." Chloe suddenly broke down into tears again. "I'm not this kind of person, I don't wallow in guilt over things I have no control over. I know in my heart that none of this was my fault but I can't shake that feeling..." She placed her palm over her breastbone, trying to soothe the ache that sat there since that awful dream she had, where she watched the love of her life bleed out and die in her arms.

"I'm a strong independent woman, not someone who needs rescuing from herself!" She was shouting now, startling both Linda and Azrael.

"I think maybe we all need a break." Linda sighed and rose to her feet. "Did you get any sleep at all tonight? It's nearly morning." 

Chloe couldn't even think about sleeping at the moment. It's been 4am, almost 8 hours since they arrived at the penthouse, but it felt like forever. Their time was running out, and if she would fall asleep now, she might wake up to a world where Lucifer doesn't exist anymore. She couldn't bear that thought.

"I'm fine." She huffed, frustrated. "let's just take a break. Maybe get some coffee and try brainstorming with all the celestials running around?" She suggested, her voice high pitched and she was trying hard not to start crying again.

She turned back to Lucifer's cold form, letting go of his hand. Then she rose from the bed and fixed his blankets, making sure the fallen angel was well covered. She didn't want to leave him but she was desperate to figure out what was going on with her guilt and find a way to save him. She also really needed some coffee and fresh air in order to do that.

Linda was worried, discreetly wiping a tear as she was watching how Chloe's shoulders sank as she straightened the blankets wrapped around her dead lover. She was really hoping they were going to figure this mess out soon. Azrael's worried glances towards the pair told her that time was not on their side.

\--------

Lucifer was touched by Linda's attempts to help them. He kept himself next to Chloe, as close as possible. He couldn't protect her, couldn't touch her, but maybe his presence might give her some comfort. Dad knows her presence always made him feel so much better, even at the worst of times, and now seemed to be the perfect time to return the favor. 

He could hear Linda speaking in the background, making clever remarks and trying so hard to ease Chloe's guilt. She was very good at her job, but everything she tried just wasn't working. 

He could feel himself fading.

He tried watching the people around his home, but found himself drawn back to her, his beautiful Chloe. She cried as she answered Linda's questions and seemed more and more distressed as time passed. Linda seemed frustrated as well. 

Things weren't going well. And he was running out of time.

His beloved detective was still holding his limp hand tightly as if it was a lifeline, so he reached towards her face, to caress her cheek, but his hand wasn't there anymore. He knew he should be upset but he just felt numb, detached. As if his soul wasn't really whole anymore… Wasn't really there anymore.

The angel of death was watching him intently, almost holding her breath. She sent another prayer towards the Silver City, pleading with their father to help, telling Reguel that their brother's time is almost over. 

She'd seen so many souls disappear this way over the years, and it was always painful for her. But never as painful as this moment, watching her favorite brother disappear so quickly, already losing himself into nothingness. 

She cared deeply for her brother. She was hoping that one day they could be a family again. And now it seemed that day would never come.

\--------

A ruffle of feathers was heard from the balcony and shook Amenadiel and Raphael out of their thoughts. Reguel had returned, folding his wings as he entered the room. He seems disheveled, his face contorted, as if he was in pain. The sword in his hands was long and seemingly whole once again, but there were no flames around the blade. 

"I'm sorry. I did my best, but It was too little too late. I should have spoken up sooner. I should have defended him eons ago." Never in his long life had he felt so upset, a tsunami of emotions threatening to drown him. 

He was always so calm and collected, but now he seemed like he was about to burst into tears any moment now. 

"You didn't find Father?" Raphael's voice was small.

"I did find him. Or actually he found me. But he refused to help me ignite the sword. He said that he can't help me. He said that things are going to play out for the best." He sat on the sofa, running his hands through his hair in his frustration. "What does it even mean? How could he say that? Why not just help Lucifer? Why not help me? We're his sons…" his voice broke.

Raphael reached out to console her brother whose face was now buried in his hands. They weren't close, but she knew it was the right thing to do, rubbing his shoulders with small soothing circles. Just then baby Charlie woke up crying. 

"What's wrong with him? It seems something is bothering him for a while now." She asked Amenadiel.

"His fever spiked again." He replied with frustration, holding his palm to the baby's forehead. "I'm not sure what it means. Celestials are not supposed to get sick like humans."

The healer let go of Reguel and approached them. "Would you like me to have a look? See if I can help?"

"I would very much appreciate it, Raphael. Thank you." He answered. "Are you sure it's no trouble?"

Raphael sighed, her eyes sad. "I need to do something brother, I need to keep myself busy, to feel helpful. I'm afraid I've neglected all of you for far too long."

She reached out, taking baby Charlie in her arms. He was giggling with joy, charmed by her beautiful smile, trying to grab some loose curls that escaped from her braid. "Wow he is amazing." The healer's eyes were twinkling now, starting to shine bright blue as her smile widened. "He's really something else. This child has so much potential. So much power to do good reside within him. He is indeed a fine celestial."

She ran the tips of her fingers along his back, checking him over. "But there is also darkness within him. Something such a young soul should never possess. It feels somewhat familiar, I have encountered it before."

Amenadiel sighed. "I think Michael did something to him, but I'm not sure what or when." And I failed to protect him, just as I failed to protect Luci. He doesn't add, but the thought is weighing on him.

Raphael held Charlie close, and he fell silent, fascinated by her glowing eyes. "I can sense the darkness here, it's so out of place. There is a good chance it's causing his illness. May I try to remove it?"

Amenadiel nodded and Raphael started chanting once again, a different tune this time around. The room fell silent, even Maze didn't make a sound, intrigued to see what was going to happen. 

The healer chanted for a few minutes, blue light was swirling around her and the baby clinging to her robes. The light kept moving until something changed, the blue light was tinted black and her feet started trembling. Amenadiel caught both her and his son, stabilizing them and guiding them towards the sofa as the light disappeared.

Raphael was breathing hard, clutching at the baby, as if holding for dear life. She raised one hand in front of her face and a swirl of black goo raised from it. She frowned, closing her hand, squishing it. "This is what I was sensing. It's dark energy or actually some sort of dark matter, it has the power to cause destruction. I haven't seen Michael in a very long time, but he holds this kind of power. It feels different now so I didn't recognize it."

"I knew he was responsible for this." Amenadiel was pissed now. How dare Michael harm his son? How dare he cause so much pain and suffering to his family?

"Could this dark matter affect Chloe as well? Perhaps it's the reason she feels so guilty?" Reguel stepped up, hopeful, his eyes red and puffy.

Raphael seemed to be considering his words. She did sense something familiar when she touched the human woman, but it was different somehow.

"It is possible. I sense some residual dark energy here. Let me remove all of it, while you go get Chloe." The healer noted, her voice shaking.

Amenadiel reached towards his son, touching his forehead. The baby seemed pleased with all the attention and his cheeks were not so flushed anymore. "Are you strong enough to endure all of it? It seems you already removed much of the dark matter here. Charlie's fever already subsided and you seem quite drained. Maybe you should start by examining Chloe? This might be the solution we are searching for."

"I'm sure. It's essential to remove all traces from the baby so the darkness won't permanently reside in him. But this time we'll do this sitting down, if you don't mind." She smiled tiredly at him.

"Go get Chloe."


End file.
